Yorkshire Terrier is a single-coated breed, which makes their coating more like hair than fur. Although not all Yorkies possess the same type of coat, there are many haircut styles that you can do for your dog. So let’s a look at ways to groom your little Yorkie.
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We categorize their coats into 3 major types: Puppy, Silky, and Cotton.
Puppy Coat: Yorkie puppies usually have thicker and softer coat, compared to adults. This soft and thick coat helps to protect them and to keep them warm. In addition, the color markings are bold and more visible as well. As they grow older, these colors will become lighter.
Silky Coat: As the name says it all, Yorkies with silky coat have very smooth hair. The hair is straight and glossy, which makes it look like a sheen.
Cotton Coat: Cotton coats sometimes are referred to as Wavy as well, since they are thicker, and more wavy, compared to silky coats. Cotton coats usually are unable to brush out long and smooth like silky coats, as these coats tend to grow pretty short (usually no longer than few inches).
Things to consider when grooming silky coats:
No matter which coat your dog has, it is important to keep it free from mats. Here are the steps to brush your Yorkie’s silk hair:
Step 1: Make sure your dog is comfortable and well-rested before you brush his hair, then have your dog lie down on one side.
Step 2: Use a comb to separate the hair and make a horizontal line in the middle to make it easier to brush.
Step 3: Start with the hair below the line. Pick up a small strip at a time and comb through until the strip is smooth and and your comb can easily glide through. After that, repeat the process with another strip. This technique is used to make sure that all the layers are brushed through, and there are no mats hidden underneath the layers.
Step 4: Once you’re done with the part below the line, repeat the process on the other side. After combing, their hair should be free of mats and look a bit fluffy.
Grooming cotton coats:
The wavy texture of cotton coats requires a different procedure. Since cotton coats are more prone to mats, it is crucial to detect and remove these mats while brushing.
Step 1: Check out the areas that are more prone to mats such as the armpits and the neck area. Use a slicker brush and brush towards the growth of the coat. Do not brush one area too many times as the pins from the brush can damage your dog’s skin. The pins from the slicker brush will break apart the mats as you brush through them, so make sure that you work through the entire coat.
Step 2: Next, use a grey hound comb to work through the coat again to detect any mats or tangles left on the coat. The grey hound comb has longer pins that can run deep into the coat and detect hidden mats.
Step 3: If the mats are too thick, and there is no way you can break them apart, the last move is to shave them down. You can ask a professional groomer to shave the matted area for you.
Few common hairstyles for Yorkies
The Show Groom:
For silk-coated Yorkies, this is a really common hairstyle. The hair is left uncut, and finely brushed everyday. The hair will be long and slightly drag on the floor. This hairstyle works only on silk coats because cotton coats are wavy and usually do not grow long enough for this style.
The Outline Groom:
This is another hairstyle exclusively for silk coats. Similar to the Show Groom, the hair is uncut and finely brushed. The only difference is that with the Outline Groom, the hair on the head and mustache is trimmed shorter.
Teddy Bear:
Just like the name, the idea for this hairstyle is to give him or her a cute haircut that looks like a puppy, or a teddy bear. Hair on the entire body is cut shorter than the previous two styles, leaving about an inch of hair. Areas such as feet, mustache, and ears are also well-trimmed to the same length as in other parts.
Shave Down:
This is a great style for summer. For this hairstyle, all the hair is cut short, especially in the body, while hair on the legs, tail, and head are left a bit longer. Some dog owners leave long hair on the head so that they can also tie up. The ears and mustache are well-trimmed too, leaving about half an inch in length.
Contrast:
Again the name says it all. The hair in different parts of the body is cut to different length to create contrast. For example, the body can be clean shaved while facial hair can be left uncut. You can trim the mustache if you like. This hairstyle works great with many hair accessories too.
Bell-bottomed:
Remember those bell-bottomed pants back in the days? Yes, this style is inspired by those. The body is shaved except the paws. Hair on paws is slightly trimmed. You can trim the mustache, ears, and head too, but don’t do too short. After you’re done, you’ll see a contrast between the shaved body and the furry paws, which will totally remind you of those bell-bottomed pants in the 70s!
To conclude…
Yorkies are a wonderful breed since they possess a nice type of coat that can be transformed into various different styles. Grooming a Yorkie requires some knowledge about the hair type, but overall it is fun when you can be creative with the hairstyle for your dog. The styles above are just a few common hairstyles, so feel free to think outside the box or be creative with these! If you run out of ideas or not sure how to do a hairstyle, remember that you can always contact a professional groomer for assistance.